A six-month term lived as a “bridge” — between institutions and citizens, between San Marino and the wider world, and even between differing political sensibilities. Captains Regent Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva bid farewell to the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale) in the final session of their mandate, drawing up a balance sheet of their six months at the helm of the Republic and leaving a message for their successors, Gerardo Giovagnoli and William Casali: “Protect the Regency.”
In their closing address, Mina and Selva began by reflecting on the experience itself. “Six months represent a short span in a person’s life, and even more so in the centuries-long history of a State. Yet there are experiences in which time is measured not by its length, but by what it manages to leave behind, to change, and sometimes even to transform.” It was a term the Heads of State described as “a bridge — a journey made of encounters, exchanges, deep reflection and emotion.”
A substantial part of the speech was devoted to the relationship between institutions, volunteering and civic associations. Mina and Selva stressed that they had met “women and men who devote their time to others without asking for visibility or recognition,” recalling a network capable of reaching places where public action alone cannot. Within this context, they also mentioned the visit of the Holy Father, drawing from it the message of “a society capable of leaving no one behind.”
The focus then shifted beyond San Marino’s borders. The visit to the Council of Europe, they explained, confirmed the role that even a small State can play on the international stage. “The credibility of a State is not measured in square kilometres, but in the consistency of its positions, in the seriousness with which it honours its commitments, in its capacity to contribute to dialogue among nations, and in the strength of its principles.”
Central to the address was also a reference to San Marino’s neutrality, framed within the current international landscape marked by wars and tensions. “Neutrality does not mean indifference. It does not mean shirking responsibility. Rather, it means preserving a space where dialogue can continue to exist even when positions seem irreconcilable. It means believing that, before any definitive rupture, a way through must always be sought, until the very last moment.” The Regents expressed hope that the coming months would bring “fewer tensions” and a greater capacity to seek “dialogue before confrontation, words before rupture.”
The review also touched on sport, recalling San Marino’s athletes at the Mediterranean Games. Looking beyond the medals, Mina and Selva addressed a message above all to young people: “Do not allow the value of your journey to be measured only by the final result. Have the courage to commit, to try, to fall and to start again. Because there are goals that can be seen, and others that belong to the person you become while striving to reach them.”
Turning to political activity, the Captains Regent recalled having sought during their term to give new impetus to the work of the Council and its Commissions, including on issues that had long remained unresolved. “A matter left unaddressed for too long risks creating a gap between those awaiting an answer and those called upon to provide it.” This, they explained, was behind their effort to encourage the work of the Commissions as places where differing positions can be discussed and where matters entrusted to politics can move forward.
A further passage was dedicated to the return to Palazzo Pubblico, after months in which the Council had met at the Kursaal due to restoration works. Mina and Selva recalled the emotion of witnessing the election of the new Captains Regent there, and issued a call for constructive political dialogue: “Differences belong to politics and are an asset of democracy. Conflict, however, should never become an end in itself.”
Among the most significant political milestones of the term, the Regents also recalled the Association Agreement with the European Union, for which the signing date has been set for 19 October. The Regency described it as “a stage in a long and complex journey,” warning that the work will not end with the signature but will still require “the capacity to listen, to engage in dialogue, and to study and deepen understanding.”
The speech then turned to the handover to Gerardo Giovagnoli and William Casali, who will take office on 1 October. “Live this term to the full. Let yourselves be drawn in by the people, the encounters and the situations that will fill your days.” And above all: “Protect the Regency. Protect its authority, its balance, its neutrality and its capacity to represent the entire community. Because it does not belong to those who exercise it for six months. It belongs to the Republic and to its history.”
The final appeal captured the essence of the farewell address: “Listen. Observe. Allow yourselves to be surprised. And let this experience change, at least in part, the way you see things.”
